The advent of new technologies and increased access to robust connectivity is reshaping the K-12 landscape for teaching and learning. School districts nationwide are leveraging digital instructional materials and resources to deliver transformative and impactful personalized learning opportunities for students and to enhance the administrative…

Providing access to robust connectivity is critical to ensuring today's students are college and career ready. As such, federal, state, and district-level leaders have dedicated a significant amount of time, effort, and resources toward improving our schools' external broadband access, including both Internet access and wide area network (WAN).…

This article features a major statewide initiative in North Carolina that is showing how a consortium model can minimize risks for districts and help them exploit the advantages of cloud computing. Edgecombe County Public Schools in Tarboro, North Carolina, intends to exploit a major cloud initiative being refined in the state and involving every…

In many ways, specialized computer labs are the black holes of IT organizations. Budgets, equipment, employees--even space itself--are sucked in. Given a choice, many IT shops would engage warp drive and escape their gravitational pull forever. While Captain Kirk might have looked to Scotty for a fix to the problem, colleges and universities are…

The purpose of this article is to describe lessons learned from studying the leadership in eight award-winning secondary schools and districts that were recognized for successfully leveraging technology as part of their efforts for school improvement. Data were collected through observations, interviews, and document analysis in schools and…

Schools and districts should use a well-designed needs assessment to inform important decisions about a range of technology program areas. Presently, there is a lack of valid and reliable instruments available and accessible to schools to effectively assess their educational needs to better design and evaluate their projects and initiatives. The…

The Association Supporting Computer Users in Education (ASCUE) is a group of people interested in small college computing issues. It is a blend of people from all over the country who use computers in their teaching, academic support, and administrative support functions. ASCUE has a strong tradition of bringing its members together to pool their…

There have been many articles written about the variety of ways faculty and students define eportfolios, collect artifacts, write reflections, and use finished eportfolios. However, little has been written about the dynamic process of adopting electronic portfolios in schools of education. This study employs cross-case analysis to investigate…

When a state makes the decision to award a small number of high-dollar grants, the stakes are considerable. For North Carolina's IMPACT Model School Grant applicants, professional development started long before a single dollar was ever awarded. In light of these conditions, the state decided to issue a high-dollar, highly prescriptive grant, the…

The purpose of this guide is to present the essential technical considerations for implementing the North Carolina Instructional Technology Plan (NCITP). It addresses three main areas fundamental to the development and execution of long-range technology plans: collaboration, connectivity, and hardware/software configurations. The first section…

This long-range state technology plan for North Carolina is the culmination of a series of research and planning efforts on improving student performance and enhancing the teaching/learning process through the effective use of technology. The plan includes the following components: a mission statement and vision; instructional technology…

This paper is a report on the development and findings of an on-going study being conducted on 126 middle schools in rural eastern North Carolina. An analysis of the technological readiness of each school is being followed with a program to offer school leaders a technology design and teacher training that will work in their schools. This includes…

Telecommunications applications are becoming increasingly prevalent in schools at all levels. Teachers and students studying to become teachers must be knowledgeable about technology, its applications, and how it will affect instruction now and in the future. A survey of approximately 500 public K-12 schools in North Carolina was conducted to…

This document contains the technology plan for North Carolina Public Schools. The plan has three primary purposes: to consolidate previous work towards the vision of technologically literate students; to indicate the commitment of the Department of Public Instruction to provide schools with the necessary technology framework to work towards the…

Describes statewide information automation and connectivity efforts in North Carolina. Highlights include Triangle Research Libraries Network Document Delivery System; cooperative networking projects; public library connectivity to the state library; rural access projects; community college automation; K-12 technology plans; electronic government…